In many ways, the human body is a magnificent work of nature — and scientists have been
hard at work uncovering its many mysteries.
Yet when it comes to some basic body functions, and certain unique body parts, we still haven't
found definite explanations for them.
Let's take a look at some of the proposed answers for these mysteries of the human body.
The appendix
Scientists and doctors aren't totally sure what the small, 3.5-inch tube inside our bodies
does, and it's well documented that we can live without it.
So, why do we even have it?
The traditional explanation was that the appendix was used by our evolutionary ancestors and
then just left over in the body.
But some scientists, like Loren G. Martin, professor of physiology at Oklahoma State
University, suggest the appendix serves an important role in the development of the fetus,
producing all kinds of compounds that keep the body running well.
Martin notes that the appendix appears to be most useful as a replacement urinary sphincter
if someone has their urinary bladder removed… but we have a feeling nature didn't exactly
intend for that to be its primary role.
Big breasts
Have you ever noticed that humans are the only ones with, generally speaking, permanently
enlarged breasts?
The reason why is still a mystery.
It could just be that male ancestors liked plump, symmetrical breasts, so evolution selected
for them.
But some believe the human breast is the result of evolution pertaining to lactation.
Florence Williams, author of Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History, believes that big boobs
are probably a result of natural selection pertaining to both male sexual preference
and ease of lactation, telling Salon,
"It could be that that attraction came later or was secondary, and it's never really been
satisfactorily proven that all men in all cultures across all times are obsessed with
breasts."
Blushing
In The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, Charles Darwin called blushing:
"...the most peculiar and most human of all expressions."
Aside from the basic fact that blushing is blood rushing to the surface of the skin,
it remains quite a conundrum in the study of human physiology and psychology.
According to Time magazine, one theory is that blushing is somewhat of a built-in lie
detector, signaling sincerity, likeability, and trustworthiness.
Various other theories suggest blushing is an involuntary, nonverbal form of communication,
signaling something is wrong with a situation.
One thing seemingly all theories agree with is that blushing is seen socially as positive,
and not negative, as frequent blushers might believe.
Right-handedness
We all know more people are right-handed than left-handed.
You most certainly learned that in elementary school, when you noticed that only a couple
weirdos held their pencils in their left hands.
Sorry, southpaws — we're actually just jealous because you lefties naturally have the upper
hand in baseball.
It's possible that hand-preference is genetic, but according to Scientific American, there's
no way way to predict a kid's handedness by looking at their parents.
More plausibly, handedness can be heavily influenced by social and cultural mechanisms,
such as in school, with some teachers forbidding the learning of left-handed writing.
Whatever the reason, dominant right-handedness is probably here to stay.
Dreaming
We can all agree that we know what dreams are, yet no one really knows why we have them.
Darren M. Lipnicki from the Center for Space Medicine Berlin has argued that Earth's geomagnetic
field is responsible for the "bizarreness" of our dreams — but, unsurprisingly, further
research is required to prove this out-of-this-world idea.
Sigmund Freud suggested that dreams represent our hidden desires, while Scientific American
reported another hypothesis claiming dreams act as a simulation, preparing us for real-life
threatening situations.
Some psychologists believe dreams regulate our long-term moods or act as our brain's
way of cataloguing daily memories.
Yawning
The theory that yawning is the body's attempt to get more oxygen into the blood has been
all but discarded.
Instead, University at Albany psychology professor Gordon Gallup claims that the things we associate
with causing yawns — like not getting enough sleep — cause the brain to run hot, requiring
our body to turn up the AC.
When we yawn, the hotter blood in the brain is theoretically replaced with the heart's
cooler blood.
Sounds fair enough, but this idea has yet to be proven, and not everyone is buying it.
Scientists are pretty sure, however, that yawning is one of our most primitive, unconscious
bodily functions.
According to The New Yorker, fetuses yawn during the first trimester in the womb.
Oh, and if you're prone to long, extended yawns, rejoice!
According to Scientific American, big yawns correlate with big brains.
So, you're not rude — you're a genius!
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